Hawaii judge dismisses lawsuit against seed company, board

LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) - A judge in Hawaii dismissed a lawsuit that sought an environmental review of the actions by a seed company operating on the island of Kauai.

The Garden Island reports environmental groups filed the lawsuit after the state Board of Land and Natural Resources in February consolidated two parcels of land leased by Syngenta under a single revocable permit.

The suit claims the board's action violated state law by exempting the company from environmental document preparation and by violating the duty to protect public trust resources.

The judge ruled on Thursday that the state does not require an environmental impact statement or an environmental assessment because the company isn't proposing any changes for how the leased land on western Kauai is used.